Slashed-to-the-navel is the new sexy sartorial move. Celebrity stylist Tanya Ghavri tells you how to master it

Fashion is the ultimate attention-seeker (almost as much as technology). It needs to keep coming up with something new ever so often so that it is always the centre of attention. Its latest ploy is a diving neckline. "This kind of neckline elongates the entire torso," says celebrity stylist Tanya Ghavri, who is responsible for what the likes of Sonam Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor wear on the red carpet. "It can be sexy without showing any cleavage, and modest even while showing more skin," she adds.

The bad news, though, is that it's mainly a trend for the cherry-chested. If you are bigger than a B-cup, the trend may not be for you. There are a few cheats, yes, but it's a tight-rope walk over a sticky puddle of embarrassment. "If you are in your early 20s or below, you could carry a short dress and a plunging neckline on a fun night-out," says Ghavri, adding, "Otherwise, it needs to be an elegant, long hemline.

You could do a maxi for a casual outing, a jumpsuit, wrap-dress, a sharp pantsuit or, of course, an elegant gown." Start off with a plain white button-down shirt and open a few more buttons than you usually do. For the look to be a success, you need some invisible engineering, by which we mean corsetry, stick on invisible bras, pasties and doublesided fashion tape that prevents mishaps.

"The look makes wearing underwear nearly impossible," says Ghavri. For a gown, you need corsetry that holds you well. The absence of inner wear also means a more relaxed silhouette; underwiring and push-ups could cause the 'B's to escape. Upon the subject of cleavage, Ghavri veers to the conservative side. "It's not necessary to show cleavage," she says, "although it's not a problem if you do.

Even wide girls can wear the look, like Beyonce, as long as you make sure that the panels cover your chest." The side-boob is an option, but not a look Ghavri is personally fond of. "I like a deep neck with a thin, long chain and an elegant pendant," says Ghavri about accessorising the look.

Lariat necklaces would also do well, but the effect is in full force if you leave the neck bare.Wear your hair away from your face in a sleek, ironed side-parting or low-side bun. A high, up-do could make you look like you are in a beauty pageant. When wearing a suit, jumpsuit or shirt, an ironed, low ponytail would be the apt punctuation. Here's a look at how our leading ladies do it.

► REVOLVER RANI SCREENING: Kangna Ranaut's keyhole neck is not new on the block, but it never gets its due. This makes a case against the enlargement pressure that actresses face — implants would make the keyhole gape indecently

► Kareena Kapoor's Giorgio Armani gown at the IIFA Awards 2014 came with a sneaky panel that perfectly matched her skin-tone. If you are busty, this is one way you can wear a plunge-neckline without mishap

► Kalki Koechlin showed us how to adapt the plunge neckline to a sari blouse at the Screen Awards 2014. It's a seductive twist and the pallu can be adjusted to your comfort level

► Sonam Kapoor's Prabal Gurang dress was a bit daring with its wide and deep neckline. The hemline of her skirt was demurely below the knee, stopping the dress from turning desperate

► Aditi Rao Hydari wore a Narendra Kumar suit at IIFA. The neckline is a fierce detail to add to a stiff suit, and a nice place to test-drive the trend

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